Cleaning articles such as sponges and dishrags are used to clean various surfaces. Using a sponge to wipe up spills and clean is one of the most used methods for a quick clean up. However, sponges can hold literally billions of bacteria. Bacteria colonies with a total population exceeding 50 million can live on a single dirty sponge. Research shows that sponges and dishrags should be replaced at least once a month. Methods such as bleaching, microwaving and boiling sponges are used to attempt to clean or disinfect sponges. However, even the best disinfectant cannot remove all of the food particles, debris, germs and bacteria that are found on sponges. Despite this, users tend to use a single sponge longer than the recommended use causing cross contamination and illness.